1996-D With Doubling On The S In Trust?

That is Machine Doubling. No hub doubling on the die. When you determine the direction the MD, you can look at other devices and you will see the same thing going on them as well often in the same direction:

Sometimes in two different directions:


Machine Doubling doesn't have any rules, it does what it does.

CoopHome: Machine doubling in just one direction? The answer might surprise you

Have you checked to see what to look for on the DDOs for that year:
Obverse:
Plain:
http://www.varietyvista.com/01b%20L...O%201996.htm
Denver:
None
Reverse:
Plain:
None
Denver:
http://www.varietyvista.com/01b%20L...201996-D.htm
So knowing what to look for will help train your eye as to what areas to look at. The date area on the obverse of one mints dies were showing a DDO. I'm not saying that you should not look at the devices. But look at the centers of the devices, and forget looking at the outside edges of the devices. (That is where Machine Doubling is)

Being it is only on the one letter, could it be a die polishing issue?
John1

On way is to get 10 bowls. Number the side of each with a number 1-0. then sort each bowl with the last digit, regard less of the first three or mintmark. "IE" 1959-1969-1979-1989-1999-2009-2019. Thus when you have put all the coins into the bowl, then make a sheet to put the with enough space to put two rows. Then sort that bowl onto the sheet. That sorts out the year, date and mintmarks.
195-plain
195-D
196-PLAIN
196-D
196-S
200-PLAIN
200-D
201-PLAIN
201-P
201-D
202-PLAIN
202-D
Then you can look up the information on V.V or Coppercoins for information on that year/mint on cents.

Try printing this out to see it is will work. Is large enough? That is what we used to use when we would do an inventory of cents for coppercoins to get an inventory of I think 5,000 cents. (Each volunteer)

I can only think if one DDO that has doubling on the nose.

Yep, the big one: